One reason your homemade tempeh starter didn't work out as well as the commercial starter is because your coffee bean grinder heats up the spores too hot and kills the spores from the excessive heat during the grinding process. I make my own starter by letting the tempeh mature to the point the mold turns greenish blackish. Scrape those spores off into a container and refrigerate until needed. I have made excellent tempeh using this method. Once you have tempeh, you will never need to buy starter again. Just keep harvesting spores from your new batches. I love your videos! Please keep making them, and have a lovely Christmas or Hanukkah!
This is great advice. There are some high end home coffee grinders which take this into account because high temps might not be great for coffee beans either. But those coffee grinders are $300-500
It it clearly worked. I think the main reason it didn't work well, is because the home made starter is mostly bean matter, so you should use twice the amount compared to the comercial stuff.
@@lopis one point raised by @artistmama1 is to collect the starter later than consumption state, when the tempeh is getting dark spots from the fruiting process.
@@GourmetVegetarianKitchen Hi, just want to share from “The Book of Tempeh” Professional edition page 120 about using fresh tempeh as a starter. “Tempeh made with this starter has a slightly weaker mycelium and the incubation time is a little longer than for tempeh made with starter from sporulated methods... remember that there are always some unwanted bacteria in the original tempeh... their numbers will increase with each generation until eventually they prevail, preventing the formation of good tempeh. “
It would work better if you mixed the starter with rice flour after grinding it. Without flour, the starter will just work for short period of time. Let's say, the flour "feeds" the starter, so it will live longer. Thanks for the video.
Traditionally made tempeh contain variety of Rhizopus species not found on commercial starter which only contain Rhizopus microsporus. Like Rhizopus arrhizus or delemar, these two complexes produced higher quality tempeh which actually may be more suited to colder temperature. As it is found specifically in ‘Tempe Malang’. Located on higher ground Malang has generally lower temperature all year round.
I've make my temphe quite without plastic-bags and electric warmth. Just as you show in your another video. My beans in a glassbox with warm wet towel over and than down in a treebox, lovely result. Now I've a lot of thin slices of homemade tempeh on a plate under my warm-pump för drying. And tomorrow I grind to starter for my next tempeh. And so good adwices here. To mix in riceflour and not grind so long/hot, good to know. Thank's 😊
Aloha, one of the things I love about you is that you make it look DOABLE to make these foods then one would think. I've enjoyed being a subscriber to your channel & watching your high quality & the Zen & clean style of your videos. I've learned wonderful things from you & you've inspired me! Mahalo nui loa for sharing your knowledge & experience! Wishing you & yours a safe & wonderful Mele Kalikimaka & Hau'oli Makahiki Hou! Aloha nui/Much love!
Thank you so much for your kind words and your support, I'm so happy to hear them. I try to make my cooking simple and accessible for everyone without owning too many cooking tools. Happy Holidays!
This is a game changer!! I've always wanted to make my own tempeh but felt it was too much of a hassle to have to get the spores, this looks like something I'm actually going to try! Thank you for all of your videos, I enjoy them very much, and especially this one!!
I'm so happy you find it helpful. Yes, I have the same problem finding tempeh starter during the pandemic, and I'm happy I can make my own. The result is as pretty as using the commercial starter but it works fine and tastes good!
I tried it with commercial tempe starter. It worked so well that I had a thick layer of mold on it in only 2 days. I took it out and it looks like a real tempe. Is that okay that it's ready in so few days? I made it with black eyed peas... tomorrow i'm gonna try it.
When you say "room temperature" you are talking of tropical rooms. My room is 21C, way too cold for fermenting. I use a dehydrator set to 31C to ferment my tempeh. Thank you for the video
"I use a dehydrator set to 31C to ferment my tempeh" What temp in a dehydrator do you use to make the starter and for how long? Assuming you made home made starter? Cheers
This is just amazing to me.. but I had thought about. But thought to dry and dehydrate.. I would have never thought of that.. Just Brilliant. Thank you for Sharing !!)... Merry Christmas and Happy new year 🎉
Hi! I just want to say you are an inspiration to me. Thanks to you I'm switching to a plant base diet and a more conscious way of buying food and making it! I'm, in fact, swiching to an all zero waste life style! I wanted to ask you: is there a good food processor/mixer or brand that doesn't cost much? I'm a student, so my budjet is quite limited...
Thanks for this video,as well all the rest! The thing is that in winter i can't have the appropriate temperature for making my tempeh. I don't own any thermometer,nor incubator,so i don't know how to achieve the best temperature for the mould to grow. Do you think you could share any tips on that? Or,even better, make a video on making tempeh in cold weather,with no additional equipment ? Thank you and Merry Christmas!
I keep my house at 68 degrees during the days in winter, and turn it down to 63 at night and it works fine for making tempeh. It takes longer than using an incubator, but works. I try to keep my cooking simple and don't like to use a lot of equipment. My tips are to keep it clean and don't be afraid to do it without owning too many things :)
@@GourmetVegetarianKitchen Thank you for taking the time to reply and removing from my mind the thought that i need to buy something fancy to do it.I am now encouraged to try again.🙏
@@GourmetVegetarianKitchen This is a game changer! I had no idea you could make tempeh without an incubator. I'll definitely try this. Thank you for your beautiful channel!
@@1bluemoon025 when someone liked your comment you would have had an email. When you click the link, UA-cam highlights your comment for *you* so you can find it. It isn't highlighted for everyone.
I think home made one is better. Commercial one has more mold inside. (the white part). Because they grind beans to powder before fermentation. That made more mold than common. But your homemade version have beans inside, and they not fermented 100% So I think you need more than 2 teaspoon of homemade yeast for faster fermentation.
Wow....have always loved your channel... so satisfying watching all your videos..... Have one question about the starter.... Can they be dried in sun or kept indoors, in shade or under fan etc to dry... I do not have a dehydrator. Please do let me know....
Was the commercial tempeh you used to make a starter pasteurized? I am trying to produce my own started from a store bought brand available in my own country.
I have read that all commercial tempeh is steam pasteurized before being vacuum packed. I was able to locate the same brand of commercial tempeh shown in this video, but I'm not sure this will work. If it has been pasteurized, wouldn't all the spores be killed? Has anyone had success reproducing the results shown in this video. I am wondering if there are spores already on her cutting board and drying basket from previous tempeh batches.
How to I eat tempeh? What do I eat it with? Ps. It’s after Christmas right now so happy new year may 2021 bring prosperity, more videos, better reforms to the videos (if you need), more subscribers (of course), AND AN END TO THIS GOD DAMNED VIRUS!!!
@@toanmitran1491 I ended up setting my dehydrator for 105 F. Enzymes start to be destroyed above that, and probably living cultures, too. It worked for me. Good luck!
I think it might possibly work, only you'd have to be sure the miso is not pasteurized. If you dry miso, you'd have to be very careful not to get it too hot. Otherwise you'd deactivate the spores. Sorry, I just don't remember which organism is used in making miso. It's worth a try. If it works, please let me know. If it doesn't work, that's good to know as well
No, that wouldn't work. To make miso you use koji culture. It is a completely different culture. Also, dehydrated miso would have a high salt content, which would likely be a problem as well.
Hola un gusto ser subscriptora de su canal ,quisiera saber si es posible que enseñé a hacer aspergillus koji desde cero casero sin las esporas compradas ya qué en mi provincia no hay debo comprar en el extranjero y es sumamente costoso muchas gracias
You will need a starter the first time. It's too dangerous to let mould grow on its own and hope its the right kind. However, if you use tempeh and get it to spore and use that to make the starter from scratch, that could also work.
Here is a huge playlist on Tempeh that teaches how to make a starter culture from steamed rice and rice flour, how to build a simple incubator, etc. The person who runs the channel seems to reside in Oregon. ua-cam.com/play/PL7CNdAgFkcwZuHM9RF3dFfQuHPw2B3QPk.html
If you make it with a commercial culture the first time, it is very easy to make your own koji culture. What you decide to raise it on simply depends on what you intend to use it for.
This is a method to create a starter so that you don't have to buy a starter more than once. Just like how you buy yoghurt once to create your own ongoing batch.
I want to learn to make homemade tempeh. You used a store bought tempeh to make starter? I want to make a homemade homemade starter...meaning no store bought chemical at all...only natural please.
It would be dangerous to let beans ferment and mould on their own and hope the spores you end up with are safe. It is far better to get a high quality culture the first time. Even more so if you've never made tempeh before.
Am i understanding this right? Just thinly slice tempeh,let dry till i breaks,grind and thats tempeh starter? Or with rice flour as @hetiskitchen9538 mentions? This seems too easy to me being such a skeptic who rarely has things work out for him lol
Generally speaking you want your tempeh to have reached the last stage of fermentation - black spores. And then you make sure to sterilise everything you use to handle it. Including the dehydrator, if you use one. Personally, I would mix in a little bit of rice flour once you have a finely ground powder. That is what the professional fermenters and culture makers do.
One reason your homemade tempeh starter didn't work out as well as the commercial starter is because your coffee bean grinder heats up the spores too hot and kills the spores from the excessive heat during the grinding process. I make my own starter by letting the tempeh mature to the point the mold turns greenish blackish. Scrape those spores off into a container and refrigerate until needed. I have made excellent tempeh using this method. Once you have tempeh, you will never need to buy starter again. Just keep harvesting spores from your new batches.
I love your videos! Please keep making them, and have a lovely Christmas or Hanukkah!
This is great advice. There are some high end home coffee grinders which take this into account because high temps might not be great for coffee beans either. But those coffee grinders are $300-500
It it clearly worked. I think the main reason it didn't work well, is because the home made starter is mostly bean matter, so you should use twice the amount compared to the comercial stuff.
@@lopis one point raised by @artistmama1 is to collect the starter later than consumption state, when the tempeh is getting dark spots from the fruiting process.
I think so too. I only use 1/2 tsp for commercial starter, but 1tsp for this homemade--I think it should work better if I use more.
@@GourmetVegetarianKitchen Hi, just want to share from “The Book of Tempeh” Professional edition page 120 about using fresh tempeh as a starter. “Tempeh made with this starter has a slightly weaker mycelium and the incubation time is a little longer than for tempeh made with starter from sporulated methods... remember that there are always some unwanted bacteria in the original tempeh... their numbers will increase with each generation until eventually they prevail, preventing the formation of good tempeh. “
It would work better if you mixed the starter with rice flour after grinding it. Without flour, the starter will just work for short period of time. Let's say, the flour "feeds" the starter, so it will live longer. Thanks for the video.
Hey, can we use all purpose flour for this?
@@toanmitran1491 sure, we can
Can i use coconut flour instead of rice flour?
Can I use chickpea or coconut flour instead? TIA
@@nataliel2728 sure you can
Traditionally made tempeh contain variety of Rhizopus species not found on commercial starter which only contain Rhizopus microsporus. Like Rhizopus arrhizus or delemar, these two complexes produced higher quality tempeh which actually may be more suited to colder temperature. As it is found specifically in ‘Tempe Malang’. Located on higher ground Malang has generally lower temperature all year round.
I am from Indonesia, where tempe is originated. Never make my own tempe, but you inspire me a lot to make ones, with different types of bean.
I'm so glad you are going to make it!
@@GourmetVegetarianKitchen Why this mold looks blackish instead of white?
@@jayzz2451cause too old
What if somebody don't have tempeh starter ? How they naturally fermented the chickpea or soyabean to make it's tempeh ?
I've make my temphe quite without plastic-bags and electric warmth. Just as you show in your another video. My beans in a glassbox with warm wet towel over and than down in a treebox, lovely result. Now I've a lot of thin slices of homemade tempeh on a plate under my warm-pump för drying. And tomorrow I grind to starter for my next tempeh. And so good adwices here. To mix in riceflour and not grind so long/hot, good to know. Thank's 😊
Such beautiful content ❤
Wow you should be having million of subscribers, best underrated channel ever, I’m in love and so inspired!!! Thank you ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Thank you so much for your kind words, I'm so glad you watch my video!
TOTAlly Agreeeee !!!!!
Aloha, one of the things I love about you is that you make it look DOABLE to make these foods then one would think. I've enjoyed being a subscriber to your channel & watching your high quality & the Zen & clean style of your videos. I've learned wonderful things from you & you've inspired me! Mahalo nui loa for sharing your knowledge & experience! Wishing you & yours a safe & wonderful Mele Kalikimaka & Hau'oli Makahiki Hou! Aloha nui/Much love!
Thank you so much for your kind words and your support, I'm so happy to hear them. I try to make my cooking simple and accessible for everyone without owning too many cooking tools. Happy Holidays!
@@GourmetVegetarianKitchen UR welcome!
This is a game changer!! I've always wanted to make my own tempeh but felt it was too much of a hassle to have to get the spores, this looks like something I'm actually going to try! Thank you for all of your videos, I enjoy them very much, and especially this one!!
I'm so happy you find it helpful. Yes, I have the same problem finding tempeh starter during the pandemic, and I'm happy I can make my own. The result is as pretty as using the commercial starter but it works fine and tastes good!
Why this mold looks blackish instead of white?
So beautiful to watch, and informative as well! Thank you!
Thank you so much, I'm so glad you watch my video!
I love tempeh. Thanks for showing.
I'm so glad you love tempeh too!
Wonderful video. Beautiful in it's simplicity and straight to the point. You have opened up a fantastic new world for me. Thank you!
I tried it with commercial tempe starter. It worked so well that I had a thick layer of mold on it in only 2 days. I took it out and it looks like a real tempe. Is that okay that it's ready in so few days? I made it with black eyed peas... tomorrow i'm gonna try it.
Thank you for this complete video. It is very useful.
Thanks for sharing your experience ☺️
This is the video I've been dreaming of! Thank you for this great Christmas gift :) Happy Holidays!
Thank you so much, I'm so happy you like it. Happy Holidays!
This was wonderful. Thank you and happy holidays 🌟🎄🎁🎅
Thank you so much. Happy Holidays!
When you say "room temperature" you are talking of tropical rooms. My room is 21C, way too cold for fermenting. I use a dehydrator set to 31C to ferment my tempeh. Thank you for the video
"I use a dehydrator set to 31C to ferment my tempeh"
What temp in a dehydrator do you use to make the starter and for how long?
Assuming you made home made starter?
Cheers
@@leperlord7078 I ended up later buying a chicken incubator and it does a fantastic job, much better than the dehydrator
Than you
@@janehalper2388
Thanks for this wonderful informative video! What does “bad” mold look like?
Thanks for the experiment!
You're welcome!
This is just amazing to me.. but I had thought about. But thought to dry and dehydrate.. I would have never thought of that.. Just Brilliant. Thank you for Sharing !!)... Merry Christmas and Happy new year 🎉
Thank you so much. Happy Holidays to you too!
Do you have a video about how to prepare the beans? Thank you for positing!
looks delicious!! thanks for sharing this great recipe. I learned new recipe today. have a great day! stay safe dear 😄
Thank you so much. You too!
Thanks for sharing and keep up the great work!
Much love from Switzerland
Thank you so much 💚
Epic information, you are appreciated, thank you.
A que temperatura desidratas? Eu fiz a 50, mas não deu certo, não fermentou...obrigada, por o video!
🤩 amazing!! Thank you for sharing this!!
Thank you so much, and you're welcome!
Hi! I just want to say you are an inspiration to me. Thanks to you I'm switching to a plant base diet and a more conscious way of buying food and making it! I'm, in fact, swiching to an all zero waste life style!
I wanted to ask you: is there a good food processor/mixer or brand that doesn't cost much? I'm a student, so my budjet is quite limited...
PS
What temperature in a dehydrator and for how long is the best to make the starter?
Thank you! This was a wonderful Christmas present! I'll try this!
Thank you so much, I'm so glad you like it!
What if somebody don't have tempeh starter ? How they naturally fermented the chickpea or soyabean to make it's tempeh ?
Thanks for this video,as well all the rest!
The thing is that in winter i can't have the appropriate temperature for making my tempeh.
I don't own any thermometer,nor incubator,so i don't know how to achieve the best temperature for the mould to grow.
Do you think you could share any tips on that?
Or,even better, make a video on making tempeh in cold weather,with no additional equipment ?
Thank you and Merry Christmas!
I keep my house at 68 degrees during the days in winter, and turn it down to 63 at night and it works fine for making tempeh. It takes longer than using an incubator, but works. I try to keep my cooking simple and don't like to use a lot of equipment. My tips are to keep it clean and don't be afraid to do it without owning too many things :)
@@GourmetVegetarianKitchen Thank you for taking the time to reply and removing from my mind the thought that i need to buy
something fancy to do it.I am now encouraged to try again.🙏
@@GourmetVegetarianKitchen This is a game changer! I had no idea you could make tempeh without an incubator. I'll definitely try this. Thank you for your beautiful channel!
Thank you for sharing!! 🎉
How can you tell the difference between the good mold and the bad mold?
Also, why is my comment highlighted? And how?
@@1bluemoon025 when someone liked your comment you would have had an email. When you click the link, UA-cam highlights your comment for *you* so you can find it. It isn't highlighted for everyone.
@@lukerichards22 Oooohhhhhh. I did not know that. I rarely check my emails. Thank You.
The good mold on tempeh is usually white, and fuzzy-black or slimy pink are bad.
I have no idea.
Thanku. Curious to know if you used the same spoon you stirred from the commercial tempeh starter tray into the homemade tempeh starter tray?
No, I used a different spoon :)
what temperature should I set the dehydrator up, before blending the tempeh I'll use as a starter?
The ones I was airdrying formed spores again. Is that normal? Should I just continue airdrying it?
I think home made one is better.
Commercial one has more mold inside. (the white part).
Because they grind beans to powder before fermentation. That made more mold than common.
But your homemade version have beans inside, and they not fermented 100%
So I think you need more than 2 teaspoon of homemade yeast for faster fermentation.
Amazing! I’ll try this with commercial tempeh. Also you should make a video explaining how to make natto :) Thank you for the video.
Where can I find your recipes please?
This is so helpful, thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
Wow....have always loved your channel... so satisfying watching all your videos.....
Have one question about the starter....
Can they be dried in sun or kept indoors, in shade or under fan etc to dry... I do not have a dehydrator. Please do let me know....
Yes, you can definitely air dry it. I actually do both air dry and dehydrator. Thank you so much for watching my videos!
Thank you so much for sharing your recipes. So nice to watch. Very inspiring. Could you please share the name of the music?
Thank you so much. The song is called Sweetly My Heart by Asher Fulero, you can get it from youtube library. I like it a lot too!
@@GourmetVegetarianKitchen thank you dear. You've got a subscriber. God bless you.
Here in Wisconsin USA I can only get frozen tempeh. Can I use the frozen on for starter?
Was the commercial tempeh you used to make a starter pasteurized? I am trying to produce my own started from a store bought brand available in my own country.
I love your channel and recipes do you have a cook book?
Thank you so much, I'm so happy you like my channel. No, I don't have a cook book, but I have most of the written recipes on my website.
Can I use the oven to dry it overnight?
I have read that all commercial tempeh is steam pasteurized before being vacuum packed. I was able to locate the same brand of commercial tempeh shown in this video, but I'm not sure this will work. If it has been pasteurized, wouldn't all the spores be killed? Has anyone had success reproducing the results shown in this video. I am wondering if there are spores already on her cutting board and drying basket from previous tempeh batches.
It did work when I tried.
madam is it necessary to store the starter in refrigerator?
I'm actually not sure if it's needed, but I keep mine in the fridge.
When you buy the cultures, you're instructed to keep them in the refrigerator. So I imagine the same would apply to homemade. :)
I like very much your clip but I think it's very dark, you have to regulate the lighting.
Thank you so much for your input. I'll try to improve it in the future videos!
How long can the tempeh powder be stored ?
At what temperature did you dehydrate? I started at 135 for the first 2hrs. But then I freaked out and turned in down to 110.
How to I eat tempeh? What do I eat it with?
Ps.
It’s after Christmas right now so happy new year may 2021 bring prosperity, more videos, better reforms to the videos (if you need), more subscribers (of course), AND AN END TO THIS GOD DAMNED VIRUS!!!
J'adore cette façon de faire les vidéo. Calme et silencieux. ON regarde . On lit. Et c'est facile. Toutefois les images sont un peu sombres...
Hi, can you use frozen tempeh to make it?
Yes, if you manage to get it to restart the fermentation process and release spores without going bad in the process.
Hi may I ask what type of wood box you use? Can I use pine wood?
Yes you can
Lovely work!!! I am so inspired by you! Thank you!!!
What temperature do you dehydrate your tempeh at?
I want to know too
@@toanmitran1491 I ended up setting my dehydrator for 105 F. Enzymes start to be destroyed above that, and probably living cultures, too. It worked for me. Good luck!
@@terianderson7951 thank for replying.
@@terianderson7951 one more thing, for how long :))?
@@toanmitran1491 I let my dehydrator run overnight. It was dry by morning. It might be done sooner, depending on how thin you slice the tempeh.
Thank you so much for showing a plastic free, zero waste way of making tempeh 🙏 My recipe calls for plastic bags and that does not feel right.
I've made tempeh in metal mixing bowls many times. That works great too. :)
nice
Nice, so you can actually get the culture from commercial tempeh!
Yes, I did. However, the tempeh made from homemade starter is not as pretty as the ones I usually make from commercial starter.
@@GourmetVegetarianKitchen As long as it works!
En español porfavor gracias desde Guayaquil Ecuador bastion popular.Angelita ❤
I really like this video, a great spice. I connected the channel fully, ringing the bell, thank you.
Wao this is amazing.. if I don't have tempeh, can I dry out miso paste and use it as starter instead? 😂
I don't think you can do that :) Thank you for watching my video!
I think it might possibly work, only you'd have to be sure the miso is not pasteurized. If you dry miso, you'd have to be very careful not to get it too hot. Otherwise you'd deactivate the spores.
Sorry, I just don't remember which organism is used in making miso. It's worth a try. If it works, please let me know. If it doesn't work, that's good to know as well
No, that wouldn't work. To make miso you use koji culture. It is a completely different culture. Also, dehydrated miso would have a high salt content, which would likely be a problem as well.
Hola un gusto ser subscriptora de su canal ,quisiera saber si es posible que enseñé a hacer aspergillus koji desde cero casero sin las esporas compradas ya qué en mi provincia no hay debo comprar en el extranjero y es sumamente costoso muchas gracias
I will like to make it but i dont have the starter how to substitute it
You will need a starter the first time. It's too dangerous to let mould grow on its own and hope its the right kind. However, if you use tempeh and get it to spore and use that to make the starter from scratch, that could also work.
Here is a huge playlist on Tempeh that teaches how to make a starter culture from steamed rice and rice flour, how to build a simple incubator, etc. The person who runs the channel seems to reside in Oregon. ua-cam.com/play/PL7CNdAgFkcwZuHM9RF3dFfQuHPw2B3QPk.html
homemade koji starter pleaseeee
That's a tough one, but I take the challenge!
@@GourmetVegetarianKitchen
If you make it with a commercial culture the first time, it is very easy to make your own koji culture. What you decide to raise it on simply depends on what you intend to use it for.
every time I make a soy tempeh mine is very very "mushroomy" in taste and smell.... am i doing smth wrong ?
I'm Indonesian, and I can confirm that it's normal for them to be like that
By the way, which commercial starter do you use?
I use soy free tempeh starter from cultures for health.
So you can make tempeh with any bean . I thought only soya beans would be good for this
There are some that are more likely to produce soggy tempeh, but most beans similar to soybeans will work.
Why this mold looks blackish instead of white?
Because it made black beans.
Also, tempeh does produce black spores in the later stages of fermentation. It gives the tempeh a very deep and unique flavour.
So I need tempeh to make tempeh stsrter... Does no one see the problem here?
Is it normal that it stinks during the drying process??? I mean, it stinks...
It has an acquired scent, yes. You'll simply have to go with your gut to figure out if it smells like tempeh or like rot.
Im looking for a tempe starter cause I dont have tempe at all and the starter is from the tempe? Are you kidding me?
This is a method to create a starter so that you don't have to buy a starter more than once. Just like how you buy yoghurt once to create your own ongoing batch.
I want to learn to make homemade tempeh. You used a store bought tempeh to make starter? I want to make a homemade homemade starter...meaning no store bought chemical at all...only natural please.
It would be dangerous to let beans ferment and mould on their own and hope the spores you end up with are safe. It is far better to get a high quality culture the first time. Even more so if you've never made tempeh before.
So you take a commerciale tempeh to take its starter , you don’t show how to make the starter without tempeh … :(
eukkkkkkkkk black tempeh. not appetizing at all
Am i understanding this right?
Just thinly slice tempeh,let dry till i breaks,grind and thats tempeh starter?
Or with rice flour as @hetiskitchen9538 mentions?
This seems too easy to me being such a skeptic who rarely has things work out for him lol
Generally speaking you want your tempeh to have reached the last stage of fermentation - black spores. And then you make sure to sterilise everything you use to handle it. Including the dehydrator, if you use one. Personally, I would mix in a little bit of rice flour once you have a finely ground powder. That is what the professional fermenters and culture makers do.